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4.2 Links with Mission Goals and Programs

4.2.5 Mission Support

The Mission Support provides critical support for NOAA's mission. This mission includes the Satellite Services sub-goal, which includes nearly all of SOCD's activities. The SOCD-relevant mission goal strategies include:

• Provide timely and effective acquisition and delivery of satellite-derived information that supports requirements from the Mission Goals.
• Provide applied research to ensure the quality, reliability, and accuracy of current and future satellite products and services to support the Mission Goals.
• Guide the development of and coordinate NOAA's homeland security-related plans, programs, and policies to enhance NOAA-wide program response, risk management, continuity of operations, and other contingency planning and program infrastructure.

Mission Support Program Links

• Geostationary Satellite Acquisition: Firm links have been established through two paths. SOCD will have lead responsibility for leading the ocean componentsof the GOES-R acquisition Algorithm Working Group, which has responsibility of working with the various sectors of the user community to select operational algorithms for the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) and the Hyperspectral Environmental Suite – Coastal Waters Imager (HES-CWI). Additionally, SOCD is a member of the Coastal Observations and Applications Science Team (COAST) for the HES-CWI, which comprises user community participation in helping define instrument criteria. SOCD also provides fundamental contributions for the GOES-R Risk Reduction (GOES-R 3) effort through algorithms, calibration, products, and validation work needed to provide early use of the satellite's data to maximize the value of the satellite's finite life.
• Polar Satellite Acquisition:
  • NPOESS acquisition program links have been predominately through intergovernmental studies supporting NPOESS risk reduction and participation on the NPOESS Operational Algorithm Teams, as well as involvement with calibration/validation forums. Principal NPOESS risk reduction efforts have centered on deriving microwave passive polarimetry ocean surface wind vector retrievals in anticipation of the CMIS instrument and the transition of the NASA MODIS Ocean Quality Assurance Browse Imagery Interface (MQABI) for calibration and validation of satellite data, initially focused on ocean color data. SOCD has the potential role of federal verification of NPOESS compliance with contract data/product accuracy and quality.
  • JASON-2 acquisition will provide operational ocean altimetry data for the first time. NOAA is the U.S. operational partner with EUMETSAT being the European operational partner and NASA and CNES being the launch partners. SOCD will provide data quality oversight for this new operational data stream. SOCD has begun the transition of altimetry quality assurance from NASA to NOAA, using JASON-1 data as the pathfinder.
  • IJPS is a partnership between NOAA and ESA, whereby, certain instruments from the current generation of NOAA POES satellite will be used by ESA and the joint system will provide operational data to both ESA and NOAA. SOCD is playing a critical role in establishing the sea-surface temperature algorithm and participating in instrument calibration and product validation efforts. There will be multiple operational satellites in the IJPS series.
  • Interferometric SAR (InSAR) initial planning links have been established for NASA's currently being designed satellite, proposed for launch in 2011. This satellite could satisfy many of NOAA's observational needs for ocean and hazard applications applicable to: tsunamis and coastal inundation, monitoring of earth deformation prior to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, high-resolution storm and coastal wind measurements, wave spectra measurements, flood and oil spill mapping, and serve as a prototype U.S. operational SAR satellite. The NASA mission is proposed for a FY 2007 start.
• Satellite Services
  • Operational GOES Support (GOES 12, 13, O, P): SOCD provides routine operational sea-surface temperature calibration, validation, and science support for the GOES Imager products in conjunction with the NESDIS Office of Satellite Data and Product Distribution (OSDPD). SOCD also develops new GOES SST products, including an effort to produce a blended GOES-POES "best-value" SST product.
  • Operational POES Support (NOAA-16, 17, 18, N´, and IJPS1, 2): SOCD provides routine operational sea- surface temperature maintenance, calibration, validation, and science support for the POES AVHRR products in conjunction with the NESDIS Office of Satellite Data and Product Distribution (OSDPD).
  • Developmental Satellites: NASA's role includes exploring space science and technology and through the implementation of developmental satellites. NOAA works in conjunction with NASA to create the best possible operational observation platforms. NOAA also works with NASA to research operational application of developmental satellite data and technology. SOCD develops algorithms for retrieving environmental parameters, as well as improving methodologies. Current examples of SOCD work with NASA developmental satellites includes incorporating QuikSCAT scatterometry ocean wind vector data into the NWS operational data stream, developing the operational retrieval algorithm for WindSat passive polarimetry ocean wind vectors, developing a TRMM SST product, supporting calibration and validation of the MODIS ocean color instrument, and providing the methodology for recovering altimetry data from the impaired GFO mission. Current and pending SOCD research efforts involve the following developmental satellites.
    • Earth Observing System (EOS) (Terra/Aqua)currently provides sea-surface temperature and ocean color data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument. These developmental data are currently processed and distributed in near-real time via the NOAA CoastWatch program. MODIS is the heritage instrument for the future operational NPP/NPOESS VIIRS instrument.
    • OrbImage-2, a joint NASA-commercial effort, carries the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) ocean color instrument. Through arrangements with NASA and the Orbital Sciences Corporation SOCD's NOAA CoastWatch program processes and provides ocean color data and products for NOAA's operational use, in particular for NOAA's Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Bulletin. The data is also provided for other developmental ocean color applications associated with fisheries management and protected species.
    • TOPEX/Poseidon, a joint NASA-CNES effort, is near the end of its mission life, having provided foundation altimetry data that SOCD has helped provide for NOAA's use in operational numerical modeling data assimilation, as well as stand-alone efforts (Global Sea-Level Rise (GSLR), El Niño assessments, Ocean Surface Current Analysis Real-time (OSCAR), etc.).
    • Jason-1, again a joint NASA-CNES effort, continues the TOPEX/Poseidon exact repeat orbit, extending the length of the altimetry data record and supporting all of the activities initiated for the TOPEX/Poseidon mission.
    • GeoSat Follow-On (GFO) is a Department of Defense mission that SOCD saved through the development of work-around processes for failed primary and backup systems. SOCD continues to compile and distribute the definitive data sets for this mission.
    • QuikSCAT provides the SeaWinds scatterometer for the assessment of ocean surface vector winds. SOCD has been instrumental in evaluating the algorithms and data, working in conjunction with NCEP for the operational evaluation and integration of the data, and working to extend existing algorithms to better address retrievals in high wind speed conditions and in the presence of precipitation. Through SOCD leadership this data is now treated as operational data within NESDIS and the NWS. This data is also served to the public via NOAA CoastWatch.
    • InSAR is a future NASA satellite that will revolutionize ground displacement measurements. It will aid in the development of determining climate change, and detecting natural hazards.
    • Aquarius is a cooperative mission with The Argentine Commission on Space Activities (CONAE) to measure global sea surface salinity to resolve missing physical properties linking the hydrologic cycle and climate. Efforts will lead to producing more accurate forecasts for El Niño and ocean circulation models. SOCD will be establishing a new capability to explore a NOAA operational capacity for satellite sea-surface salinity data and products.
    • CryoSAT is an ESA radar altimetry mission designed to determine variations in ice sheet and ice cap thinning and glacial melting in an effort to predict changes due to global warming. It will also attempt to determine freeboard estimates of floating ice. CryoSAT will assess technologies for acquiring data useful for safe navigation and as input for more accurate ocean/ice models.
    • GRACE is NASA's Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment in a cooperative mission with Germany to obtain accurate and high-resolution, static and time-variable measurements of the Earth's gravity field. SOCD's SSH science team is developing a new global bathymetry product using gravity anomalies that correlate with variations in sea surface height reflecting ocean depth. Understanding the deep-water bathymetry determined from gravity models will aid in deriving a new ocean floor roughness product aimed at characterizing bottom controls on deep-ocean mixing for climate modeling purposes.
    • Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) includes the Japanese Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) which requires research and development of L-band corollaries to the current C-band SAR algorithms and products.
    • Oceansat-1, Indian Remote Sensing Satellite IRS-P4, is the first Indian Ocean Color polar satellite. The platform will carry an Ocean Color Monitor (OCM) and a Multi-frequency Scanning Microwave Radiometer (MSMR). OCM will collect data on chlorophyll concentration, detect and monitor phytoplankton blooms, and obtain data on atmospheric aerosols and suspended sediments in the water. MSMR will collect sea surface temperature, wind speed, cloud water content, and water vapor data. SOCD anticipates exploring the use of Oceansat-1 data for use in global products.
• Homeland Security: To be established.